Department for Transport

Department for Transport: EU Nationals

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many citizens of other EU countries work in (a) his Department and (b) agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible.

Mr John Hayes: The Department does not hold information on the citizenship status of all its staff. Staff are invited to self-declare their nationality on the staff system.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Civil Nuclear Constabulary: Retirement

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department's policy is on making the pension age for Civil Nuclear Constabulary police officers the same as that for police forces under the responsibility of the Home Office.

Jesse Norman: Government policy is for public sector workers to have a normal pension age equal and linked to the state pension age. Parliament defined ‘members of a police force’ in the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 in such a way as to exclude Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers from the special arrangements that were made for Home Office police forces under that Act. A recent High Court judgement confirmed this interpretation. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will work with the Civil Nuclear Police Authority to put in place the appropriate pension arrangements for Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers, within the parameters set out in the legislation.

Renewable Energy

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to continue to support Government investment in (a) new energy sources and (b) tidal energy.

Jesse Norman: Government investment in all forms of renewable energy continues to be predicated on achieving an energy mix that is secure, clean and affordable. Government will be announcing details of the next energy innovation programme and the Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation round in due course.

Solar Power

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of solar panels installed in homes and small businesses in the UK in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: We publish statistics on numbers of solar photovoltaic installations rather than on the number of solar panels installed or whether installations are domestic or small business. Typically installations on domestic properties will be less than 4 kiloWatts in capacity, and those on small businesses between 4 and 50 kiloWatts in capacity. The number of installations within each of these capacity bands over the last three years for which statistics are available is as follows: Number of installations  2013  2014 20150-4 kW – largely domestic97,327131,994179,0664-50 kW – largely small businesses8,0869,04112,254 Source data:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solar-photovoltaics-deployment (table 1)

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what Freedom of Information requests (a) his Department and (b) the Department for Energy and Climate Change received in the last 12 months in respect of requests for documents submitted to the European Commission in support of the UK case of State Aid Clearance for plans to support radioactive waste and decommissioning proposals for new nuclear power stations; what response his Department provided to those requests; and what the reasons were for each such response.

Jesse Norman: The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not received any requests for documents submitted to the European Commission for State aid clearance with regard to plans to support radioactive waste and decommissioning proposals for new nuclear power stations.The former Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) received one such request in the last 12 months. The request asked for “the main document setting out the United Kingdom justification for state aid clearance, along with a full list of the titles of all support documents, submitted to the European Commission, in respect of the European Commission consideration of the pricing methodology for waste transfer contracts to be concluded between the UK Government and operators of new nuclear power plants and its compatibility with EU state aid rules, on which the Commission reported its conclusions on 9 October 2015”.In its response DECC confirmed that it did hold the information requested but was withholding it as the information fell within the scope of the exception set out in regulation 12(5)(a) of the Environmental Information Regulations and that the public interest lay in withholding the information.

Business: Regulation

Mr Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential opportunities to reduce the regulatory burdens on business (a) before and (b) after the UK leaves the EU.

Margot James: The Government committed in its manifesto to reduce the burden of regulation on business by £10bn through a Business Impact Target. The first report on the Business Impact Target was published in June and showed that we have so far delivered £885 million of deregulation savings against it.The Government will carefully consider the implications of leaving the European Union for the Business Impact Target, and the opportunities to further reduce burdens on business.

Coal Gasification: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 20 October 2015 to Question 11541, whether the Department for Energy and Climate Change completed its assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions related to underground coal gasification.

Jesse Norman: The Department recognises a need to understand the risks and benefits associated with underground coal gasification better. It commissioned a report from the consultancy WS Atkins Plc into the greenhouse gas implications of underground coal gasification. This report will be received in due course.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he plans to take to improve the performance of the feed-in tariff scheme for solar power; and what the timetable for such improvements is.

Jesse Norman: Solar has been deployed rapidly in recent years from low levels with almost 11 GW of capacity now installed.Changes to the Feed-in Tariff scheme were introduced in 2016 to manage costs and ensure value for money. While it is appropriate to allow for a period of stability following these changes, we continue to keep the performance of the scheme under review.

Energy: Prices

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to place a legal obligation on energy suppliers automatically to transfer pensioner households to their lowest possible tariff.

Jesse Norman: Energy supply companies are required to ensure customers are on the cheapest tariff in line with their preferences: specifically, as to their chosen payment method and to the type of tariff (fixed term or variable) they prefer.All pensioners receive help with energy bills each winter through the Winter Fuel Payment, receiving £200-£300 depending on circumstances. Pensioners on Pension Credit may also receive assistance under the Cold Weather Payment and Warm Home Discount.

New Businesses: EU Grants and Loans

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure that start-up companies who receive funding from EU institutions continue to have access to similar levels of funding after the UK leaves the EU.

Margot James: The UK Government is committed to ensuring the UK continues to be a world leader in international research and innovation. My right hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has committed that HM Treasury will underwrite all competitively bid for EU research funding that is applied for before departure. Future access to EU collaborative research will be subject to the negotiation.The UK already has a wide number of measures in place to help start-ups. Start-up loans provide both finance and business advice with over £250 million loans drawn down to date. Advice on starting and growing businesses is available from the 39 growth hubs around the country and the national Business Support Helpline.

Australia: Radioactive Waste

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to stop the shipment of UK nuclear waste to Andnyamantha homelands in Australia up to 2020.

Jesse Norman: There is a very small quantity of Australian owned radioactive waste currently stored in the UK. We anticipate that this will be returned to Australia in due course in line with contractual commitments. The location of any storage and disposal facilities for this waste will be a matter for the Australian authorities.Any shipment of radioactive material out of the UK will comply with all relevant international laws and use ships which meet national and international requirements.

Carbon Sequestration

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2016 to Question 40370, when his Department plans to outline its new approach to the carbon capture and storage industry; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has a potential role to play in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK but its costs must come down.We continue to work with industry to help develop CCS cost effectively and we will set out our future approach to CCS in due course.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Animal Welfare

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote animal welfare in the Government's foreign policy.

Alok Sharma: The Government has a manifesto commitment “to push for high animal welfare standards to be incorporated into international trade agreements” and we are working with colleagues across Whitehall and with the European Commission, who represents EU Member States in the associated negotiations, to deliver this.

Cabinet Office

Written Questions

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to update the guidance issued to Government departments on drafting answers to parliamentary questions.

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to ensure that parliamentary questions are answered in full where the requested information is already available.

Ben Gummer: Ministers are responsible for the answers they give to Parliamentary questions. The practice of providing links or references to published material is long standing. There are currently no plans to update the Guidance to Departments on drafting answers to Parliamentary questions given it was previously updated in the last Parliament.

Students

Craig Tracey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether students aged over 18 years in higher education are separately identified as an element in the sub-national population and household projections by the Office of National Statistics.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Household Projections
(PDF Document, 65.32 KB)

Attorney General

Domestic Violence

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney General, in (a) how many and (b) what proportion of common assault cases flagged as involving domestic violence with allegations against (i) male and (ii) female defendants did the CPS oppose bail on the grounds of the associated person exception; and in what proportion  of such cases was bail refused by the court in each of the last three years.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number cases where bail has been opposed. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Department for International Development

Palestinian Authority

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the level of adherence by the Palestinian National Authority to the principle of non-violence set out in the Memorandum of Understanding between her Department and that authority; and if she will make a statement.

James Wharton: The UK deplores incitement to violence on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and takes the issue of incitement extremely seriously. When incidents of incitement to violence do occur, we do not hesitate to raise and condemn these with the Palestinian Authority. The UK raises the issue of incitement as part of the FCO-led UK-Palestinian strategic dialogue, most recently in February this year. HMG’s assessment is that the Palestinian Authority is not in breach of the Memorandum of Understanding. The UK continues to encourage the leaderships of both the PA and Israel to re-engage in the Trilateral Committee on Anti-Incitement.

Palestinian Authority

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when her Department last made a formal assessment of the Palestinian National Authority's adherence to its commitment to ensure that the human rights of all citizens are respected without exception as set out in the Memorandum of Understanding between her Department and that authority; and if she will make a statement.

James Wharton: The last formal assessment of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) commitment to the Partnership Principles, including the PA’s commitment to respecting human rights, was carried out in May 2016. Our assessment is that the PA continues to deliver on the Partnership Principles, even under increasingly fragile and volatile conditions.

Yemen: Internally Displaced People

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the number of people who have been displaced in Yemen in the last five months.

James Wharton: According to the United Nations, there were 2.2million internally displaced people (IDPs) in Yemen in July 2016. This is an increase of 200,000 since April 2016. Yemen also hosts around 280,000 refugees, mainly from the Horn of Africa.

Department for Education

Graduates: Employment

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of degree-level education on employment prospects.

Joseph Johnson: The Government regularly publishes information on graduate employment trends through its ‘Graduate Labour Market Statistics’ publication, which can be found on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/graduate-labour-market-quarterly-statisticsAccording to the latest data covering 2015, 87 per cent of graduates were in employment compared to 70 per cent of non-graduates. Graduates are also more likely to be employed in high-skilled employment with 66 per cent of graduates working in these types of occupation compared to 21 per cent of non-graduates.HMG also regularly commissions research on the earnings premium graduates can expect from holding a degree. The latest research, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229498/bis-13-899-the-impact-of-university-degrees-on-the-lifecycle-of-earnings-further-analysis.pdf, suggests that over a working life graduate returns average £170,000 for males and £250,000 for females. This takes into account the impact of loan repayments, national insurance and income tax payments.The Government recognises, however, that there is variation in the returns students receive from undertaking a Higher Education. The Teaching Excellence Framework will put clear information in the hands of students about the teaching quality and outcomes they might expect to receive, as well as encouraging higher education institutions to focus on employability of their graduates.

Educational Exchanges

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the availability of university year-abroad schemes.

Joseph Johnson: The referendum result has no immediate effect on students abroad under the Erasmus scheme or applying for 2016/17. Payments will be made in the usual way. Access to the programme after we leave the EU is a matter for the forthcoming negotiations. The Department offers the same support for study abroad under other schemes as for Erasmus.

Pre-school Education: Males

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings on the gender pay gap for early language attainment at age five in Save the Children's report, entitled The Lost Boys: How boys are falling behind in early years, published in July 2016.

Caroline Dinenage: The Save the Children report, The Lost Boys: How boys are falling behind in the early years, addresses the gender gap of boys falling behind in language and literacy in the early years. I would like to clarify to the Hon. Member that the report does not refer to pay. The answer to this parliamentary question therefore sets out what Government are doing to support disadvantaged children regardless of background or gender. The Government recognises a key part of raising the standard of education for all children is to ensure they receive a good level of development in literacy and numeracy before they start school at age five. This is why in 2010 we extended the free entitlement to 15 hours for all three and four year olds, and in 2013 introduced the entitlement for two-year-olds which has increased early education take-up for children from the most disadvantaged families. We have also introduced an early years pupil premium to help providers support the learning and development of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework sets the prime areas of learning which early years providers must follow. This includes a focus on communication and language. The Early Years Foundation stage is published on gov.uk, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335504/EYFS_framework_from_1_September_2014__with_clarification_note.pdf The 2014-15 EYFS Profile results tell us that the proportion of children achieving a good level of development continues to increase – 66 % in 2015, compared to 60% in 2014 and 52% in 2013. The EYFS Profile results also show that more than 80% of children are reaching the expected communication and language skills by age five. A higher proportion of children eligible for free school meals are achieving a good level of development – 51% in 2015 compared to 45% in 2014. Although the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers is narrowing, we recognise there is still some way to go. The quality of early education is improving, the numbers of qualified staff have risen, the numbers of graduates in the workforce continues to rise, and a record number of providers are rated good or outstanding, with 86% of providers currently on the Early Years Register judged good or outstanding for overall effectiveness at 31 March 2016.

Ministry of Defence

Kurds: Military Aid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Kurdistan regional government on support for its army in tackling Daesh.

Mike Penning: The British Defence Attaché in Baghdad and Defence Advisor in Erbil regularly discuss these issues with representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government and Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs. I will discuss these issues with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government during my forthcoming visit to the region. The UK is steadfastly supporting the Kurdish Peshmerga as they fight, alongside other Iraqi forces, to defeat Daesh in Iraq. The UK has trained more than 6,000 Kurdish Peshmerga in infantry fighting skills, gifted 1,000 Vallon counter-IED detectors, provided more than 50 tonnes of non-lethal support, 40 heavy machine guns, nearly half a million rounds of ammunition and £600,000 worth of military equipment. We have also delivered over 300 tonnes of weapons and ammunition on behalf of other Coalition nations. In addition, the Kurdish Peshmerga benefit from RAF intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance capability and airstrikes - Tornado, Typhoon and Reaper have flown more than 3,000 missions in Iraq, carrying out over 1,000 successful strikes against Daesh targets, and in support of Iraqi forces.

Armed Forces: Training

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that apprenticeships and training programmes are adequately supported through current and future defence procurement (a) guidance and (b) programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence is proud to be the single largest provider of quality apprenticeships in the UK, having delivered more than 150,000. We therefore play an important role in helping the Government meet its commitment to reaching three million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020.We work closely with colleagues across Government and industry to help maintain and develop the essential skills needed to deliver defence outputs. That includes working with industry partners to develop new world-class apprenticeship standards. Where we know that specific skills are needed for the effective delivery of defence capability, our procurement policies allow for consideration of these skills in our tendering activity, and their continued development through the life of relevant contracts.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many FTRS contracts have been used to reinforce the Capita armed forces since that contract began; and how it is being met.

Mark Lancaster: The Recruiting Partnering Project contract has been reinforced with 17 additional Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) contracts. These personnel have been used in a variety of roles supporting the Army's recruiting effort.

Army Reserve: Females

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what targets he has set for recruiting female soldiers into the Armed Forces Reserve; and how he plans to track those soldiers' performance through the recruiting process.

Mark Lancaster: There is a combined UK Regular and Future Reserve 2020 target to increase female personnel to 15 per cent of total intake by 2020. Progress against this target is reported on a biannual basis in the Armed Forces Biannual Diversity Statistics. The information can be found in table 26 at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-2016

Army Reserve: Recruitment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Reserves recruits made it through Phase 1 of the recruitment process in the last 12 months; and whether the target for such recruitment was met.

Mark Lancaster: Information on how many members of Future Reserves 2020 have completed Phase 1 training and commenced Phase 2 training in the 12 months to 31 July 2016 is shown below: Maritime Reserve 160Army Reserve FR20 1,830Royal Auxiliary Air Force 270 There is no target for completing Phase 1 training but targets exist for trained strength, new entrant inflow and ex-regular trained joiners.  Notes 1. Future Reserves 2020 includes volunteer reserves who are mobilised, High Readiness Reserves and those volunteer reserves serving on Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) and Additional Duties Commitment (ADC). Sponsored Reserves who provide a more cost effective solution than volunteer reserve are also included in the Army Reserve FR20.2. Professionally Qualified Officers have been excluded for the Army Reserve FR20 as they may be simultaneously completing Phase 1 and Phase 2 training.3.Figures represent the number of personnel who have completed Phase 1 training and commenced phase 2 training the following month in the 12 months ending 31 July 2016.4.Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in 5 are rounded to the nearest 20 to avoid systematic bias.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the military (a) capabilities and (b) asset levels in Northern Ireland to deal with the threat level.

Mike Penning: Both the adequacy of military capabilities and asset levels in Northern Ireland are continually reviewed with the Northern Ireland Office and civil authorities, who lead on security in Northern Ireland, to ensure our support is proportionate, effective and efficient. Policing and security remains the responsibility of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Security Service and therefore this includes our support to civil authorities. For example, support routinely provided in Northern Ireland includes explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and Defence are currently undertaking an enhancement of military vehicles used for the provision of this support.I am withholding further information on assessments as its disclosure would prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Army Reserve

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers on leaving service have transferred to the Reserves in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: Defence Statistics publish information on a regular basis showing intake figures for the Armed Forces, including the Army Reserve. Information on the number of former Regular soldiers joining the Army Reserve by year since April 2012 is contained in 'UK Armed Forces Monthly Service Personnel Statistics August 2016' and associated tables which is available in Table 7c at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-monthly-service-personnel-statistics-2016   2012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17Trained Direct Entrant7101,1201,5901,970400 (as at 1 July 16) Army Reserve FR20 Trained Direct Entrants comprises ex-Regulars who directly enter the trained strength and have been discharged from the Regular Army Trained Strength within six years of enlistment to the Army Reserve. Information prior to 1 April 2012 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions

Children: Maintenance

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of child maintenance have received an exemption from the application fee on the grounds of domestic abuse since June 2014.

Caroline Nokes: This information is only available from December 2014, and is routinely published in the Child Maintenance 2012 Scheme – Experimental Statistics. The latest publication includes information up to May 2016, and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-the-2012-statutory-child-maintenance-scheme

Department for Communities and Local Government

Homelessness

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce homelessness.

Mr Marcus Jones: One person without a home is one too many. That is why the Government is clear that prevention must be at the heart of everything we do to reduce homelessness. We are investing £500 million to prevent, relieve and reduce homelessness across this Parliament. This includes protecting homelessness prevention funding for local authorities, which will amount to £315 million by 2019-20, to help them continue to provide quality advice and assistance to everyone who approaches them for help. Since 2010, local authorities have helped prevent or relieve over one million cases of homelessness.Reducing homelessness is a complex issue. The causes are varied and driven by issues such as health, education, justice, welfare, and employment. That is why we have increased central investment to tackle homelessness over the next four years to £139 million, including a new £10 million Social Impact Bond to support rough sleepers with the most complex needs. This builds on the success of the world’s first homelessness Social Impact Bond, run by the Greater London Authority to turn round the lives around of 830 of London’s most entrenched rough sleepers. Over half have achieved accommodation, employment or reconnection outcomes.In addition we have invested £15 million to improve outcomes for young people through the Fair Chance Fund. This funding is turning around the lives of around 1,900 18 to 25 year olds with complex and overlapping needs, by supporting them into accommodation, education, training and employment.We also announced in the Budget an additional £100 million to deliver low cost ‘move on’ accommodation to enable people leaving hostels and refuges to make a sustainable recovery from a homelessness crisis, providing at least 2,000 places for vulnerable people to enable independent living. I am also considering Bob Blackman MP's Homelessness Reduction Bill 2016-17.

Homelessness

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from charities, local authorities and policy experts on potential ways to reduce homelessness.

Mr Marcus Jones: Ministers meet with representatives of local authorities, voluntary and charity sector organisations, policy experts and other partners on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues including potential ways to reduce homelessness.The government publishes a list of all ministerial meetings with external bodies on departmental business on a quarterly basis. This is available at www.gov.uk.

Local Government: Pensions

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the consultation on the Local Government Pension Scheme: investment regulations; and what steps he is taking to ensure full parliamentary scrutiny of any resulting proposals.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 15 September 2016



The government’s response to the consultation will be published in due course.The regulations will be made according to the negative resolution procedure as required by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013. The instrument will be scrutinised by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments and the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee and may be subject to additional scrutiny in either House in accordance with the procedures applicable to all negative resolution statutory instruments.

Communities and Local Government: Research

Natalie McGarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which reports commissioned by his Department from external bodies between 1 January 2015 and 31 August 2016 have not yet been published; when each report was commissioned for research; what the nature of the research commissioned was; from which external body or individual person the research was commissioned; what the value was of each such piece of research commissioned; on what date each report was received by his Department; for what reasons the research has not yet been published; and when he plans to publish each report.

Mr Marcus Jones: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Public Lavatories

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals for the mandatory provision of accessible toilets by all public organisations and private businesses for their customers and service users.

Gavin Barwell: Part M of the Building Regulations requires that reasonable provision is made for accessible toilets in buildings other than dwellings, where relevant types of building work are undertaken (typically the erection, extension or alteration of a building). Statutory guidance as to how that requirement can be met is contained in Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings) Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings. Section 5 of the Approved Document provides detailed guidance on suitable toilet and sanitary accommodation. Government has no current plans to amend these requirements, but will keep guidance on toilet provision under review.For existing public and commercial buildings, the Equality Act 2010 places duties on building owners, employers and business operators to put in place suitable management practices and to make reasonable adjustments to physical features of buildings in order to ensure that disabled people are not placed at a disadvantage when compared to a non-disabled person. This includes consideration of the nature and availability of toilet provision.

Green Belt

Craig Tracey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will amend national planning policies so that development of land designated as Green Belt will be resisted until the implications of the UK exiting the EU, and its effect on population and household projections, have been fully assessed and new projections issued for the use of local planning authorities.

Gavin Barwell: In line with our manifesto commitment, the government is committed to strong protection of Green Belt land. Local authorities are responsible for designating Green Belt land, as explained in our National Planning Policy Framework. Only in exceptional circumstances may a local authority alter a Green Belt boundary. Applications for most types of development within the Green Belt are inappropriate and should be refused permission except in very special circumstances. Latest figures for 2015-16 show Green Belt continuing to cover around 13 per cent of England.

Students

Craig Tracey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in relation to the sub-national population and household projections, if he will review with the Office of National Statistics, the methods of recording and counting of students as an element of the population in local authority areas having significant student populations.

Mr Marcus Jones: DCLG uses the Office of National Statistics (ONS) population projections to produce the household projections. Students are not counted as a separate population in the ONS mid-year population estimates or the ONS population projections. The ONS maintains responsibility for how these statistics are produced, and DCLG have no plans to review the methods used to produce these statistics.

HM Treasury

Treasury: Research

Natalie McGarry: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which reports commissioned by his Department from external bodies between 1 January 2015 and 31 August 2016 have not yet been published; when each report was commissioned for research; what the nature of the research commissioned was; from which external body or individual person the research was commissioned; what the value was of each such piece of research commissioned; on what date each report was received by his Department; for what reasons the research has not yet been published; and when he plans to publish each report.

Simon Kirby: The Department does not hold this information centrally. The information requested can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Concentrix: Complaints

Alison Thewliss: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints his Department has received from hon. Members on the service of Concentrix in the last 12 months.

Jane Ellison: Between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016, HM Revenue and Customs received 670 formal complaints in writing or via e-mail from hon. Members relating to Concentrix service.

Revenue and Customs: Scotland

Alison Thewliss: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many HM Revenue and Customs staff were employed in Scotland in each year since 2006.

Jane Ellison: The number of HM Revenue and Customs staff employed in Scotland each year since 2006 is shown in the following table. Year EndingHead Count31/03/200611,41531/03/200711,46431/03/200811,01831/03/200911,16031/03/201010,03131/03/20119,86031/03/20129,83931/03/20139,43731/03/20148,95931/03/20158,33131/03/20169,147

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff his Department plans to employ by the end of the current financial year; and in which regions those staff will be employed.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff are employed in his Department (a) in each region and (b) by gender; and in which Departments those staff were previously employed.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department for Exiting the EU now has over 200 staff in London, plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and we are still growing rapidly. The overall size and scope of the new department, including staffing and budget, are regularly reviewed. We will ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with the task at hand.As a new department we do not yet hold diversity data for all of our staff but we will be collecting this in line with standard Civil Service practice.

Conditions of Employment

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, which social and workers' rights protected in existing EU treaties it is his policy to protect during negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: We are about to begin negotiations and at every step of these we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for British workers. We will speak to as many other firms, organisations and bodies as possible – research institutes, trade unions, regional and national groups and businesses up and down the country, to establish the priority issues and opportunities for the whole of the UK.

Department for International Trade

Business

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he plans to take to ensure that local businesses in (a) the UK and (b) Northampton have appropriate information to enable them better to access global markets.

Mark Garnier: The Department for International Trade (DIT) runs the Exporting is GREAT campaign, designed to significantly increase exports by inspiring and supporting UK companies to take advantage of the global appetite for UK products, skills and expertise in markets around the world. The Department’s export hub roadshow travels throughout the UK providing face to face export advice and guidance to businesses; indeed it visited Northamptonshire in April and 17 companies attended.This Department also provides digital services for all businesses including access to live Export Opportunities around the globe and webinars on exporting, both accessible through the Exporting is GREAT website, exportingisgreat.gov.uk/. Businesses also have access to DIT’s sector and market focussed campaigns and tailored advice and support through the Department’s network of international trade advisors. They will have the opportunity to promote their products on the new Export Directory which DIT is launching in November, alongside other new digital services.Northamptonshire companies have also benefitted from recent events being held on how to access global markets such as China, India and Iran. Seminars in Northamptonshire have informed companies on issues such as managing agents and distributors, e-commerce and international web optimisation, amongst others.This information is not only accessible in England but also in the rest of the UK through DIT working closely with the devolved administrations’ own export promotion organisations.

Arms Trade: Exports

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make it his policy that the UK leaving the EU will not (a) affect the UK's position as a signatory to the EU's Code of Conduct on Arms Exports and (b) require any amendment of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

Mark Garnier: Until we leave the EU, the UK will remain a full member, with all of the rights and obligations. This includes those relating to export licencing policy.The assessment framework provided by the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, as set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 March 2014, remains in force.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 30754 and the Written Ministerial Statement of 21 July 2016, HCWS 125, whether Saudi Arabia remains fully compliant with the UK's export license criteria.

Mark Garnier: The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously. The test applied to an export licence application is whether the proposed export complies with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. We carefully assess each licence application against these Criteria and will not grant a licence if to do so would breach the Criteria.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 30754, how many arms export licenses to Saudi Arabia have been revoked in each year since 2009-10.

Mark Garnier: Data relating to export licences issued, refused or revoked for all destinations is published as official statistics on the GOV.UK website.

Drugs: Japan

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department has had discussions with representatives from Japan on arrangements for Japanese pharmaceutical companies in the UK.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade (DIT) works with new investors from Japan as well as Japanese companies across many sectors that have a UK presence. The Life Sciences Organisation (LSO) in this Department as well as the overseas market team in Japan have been engaging directly with Japanese pharmaceutical companies in Japan and those with a UK footprint. We welcome engagement from Japan and senior officials will continue to engage in a structured way on all levels.

Department of Health

Junior Doctors: Pay

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a comparative assessment of the level of proposed weekend pay under the new junior doctors' contract with weekend pay for (a) prison officers, (b) fire fighters, (c) police officers, (d) call centre workers, (e) consultants and (f) nurses, midwives and physios.

Mr Philip Dunne: Junior doctors already work weekends, and they will continue to be fairly rewarded for work undertaken at the weekend using the weekend allowance proposed by the British Medical Association negotiators. Comparative rates are set out in the table below. Because of the allowance based approach to weekend working, the effective hourly rate juniors are paid will vary depending on how many hours they work over how many weekends. In almost all cases junior doctors will receive weekend pay better than other National Health Service professional staff. A typical rota for a junior doctor involves an average of 6.5 hours a week being worked at weekends. (i.e. they work two long shifts of 13 hours every four weekends). This is split evenly over Saturdays and Sundays and includes night work. For working those weekend hours the percentage hourly supplement across all the hours worked for different groups of NHS staff would be- 66% for a junior doctor (37% for night work plus an additional 7.5% weekend allowance set as a percentage of basic pay)- 56% for a band 3 Health Care Assistant (37% for Saturday, 74% for Sunday)- 45% for a nurse (30% for Saturday, 60% for Sunday)- 33% for a consultant PaymentJunior doctorsWeekend night shifts ending by 10am. Time plus 37%. Weekend allowance - + 10% 1in2 - + 7.5% - + 6% - + 4% - + 3% - No allowanceConsultants4hour Programmed Activity is reduced to 3 hours, effectively Time + 33%NursesTime + 30% Saturday time +60% SundayPrison officers *Time + 17%  Firefighters *Shift duty covers shifts 24 hours, 7 days. No premiaPolice Officers *Time plus 10% for nights only (8pm-6am)Call centre workers *Between Time + 5% and Time + 40% *Income Data Services study

Junior Doctors: Pay

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a comparative assessment of the level of the proposed night time premium under the new junior doctors' contract with the night time premium for (a) airline pilots, (b) fire fighters, (c) police officers, (d) consultants and (e) nurses, midwives and physios.

Mr Philip Dunne: Under the new contract the night time premium proposed for junior doctors means that they will be paid a higher supplement rate than consultants and nurses in the National Health Service and significantly more than other public sector employees.  Night WindowPaymentJunior doctors9pm-7am or until the end of the night shift up to 10amTime + 37%Consultants7pm-7am4 hour Programmed Activity is reduced to 3 hours, effectively time + 33%Nurses8pm-6amTime + 30%Airline Pilots*1am-7amTime + 14-17% for captainPolice Officers*8pm-6amTime + 10%Firefighters *n/aShift duty covers shifts 24 hours, 7 days. No premia *Income Data Services study

Consultants: Pay

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate how many consultants earn more than the Prime Minister.

Mr Philip Dunne: It is estimated that 8,000 consultants earn more than £142,500. This figure relates to the earnings of consultants employed by the NHS Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) in England, and is based on NHS Earnings Estimates and Workforce Statistics published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). Sources: HCHS Consultants earnings figures based on statistics published by the HSCIC, from NHS Electronic Staff Record data, in NHS Staff Earnings Estimates to December 2015. The NHS Electronic Staff Record is the HR and Payroll system used by almost all National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in England. HCHS Consultant numbers published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre in NHS Workforce Statistics.

Diabetes: Nurses

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to recruit more diabetes specialist nurses.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many diabetes specialist nurses are employed by the NHS.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Digital provides information on the number of nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed in the National Health Service in England but it does not separately identify diabetes specialist nurses.It is for local NHS organisations with their knowledge of the healthcare needs of their local population to invest in training for specialist skills such as diabetes nursing and to deploy specialist nurses.

Autism

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will put in place standardised data collection and reporting measures on autism better to address the clinical needs of people diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder.

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that regular health monitoring is in place to address the health care needs of people diagnosed with autism.

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the findings of the Westminster Commission on Autism, A Spectrum of Obstacles: an inquiry into access to healthcare for autistic people, published in July 2016, if he will take steps to ensure that autism awareness training is available for health professionals in the manner recommended in that report.

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the findings of the Westminster Commission on Autism, A Spectrum of Obstacles: an inquiry into access to healthcare for autistic people, published in July 2016, if he will put in place annual health checks for people diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder who find it difficult to communicate co-morbid physical health and mental health issues.

David Mowat: NHS England has been working with NHS Digital to develop reporting from the new Mental Health Services Data Set. This mandatory data set includes provision for the diagnosis of autism to be recorded, and reporting on these data has been prioritised. Experimental data reports on the number of people diagnosed with autism are expected to be published by the end of 2016. The National Health Service is taking action to increase the health checks and cancer screening programmes for people with learning disabilities, including those who also have autism. In 2015, NHS England commissioned the world's first Learning Disability Mortality Review Programme to support local areas to review deaths of people with learning disabilities and to use the information to improve service provision so that physical and mental health problems can be identified and addressed. Information from the programme will help with what more can be done to support regular health monitoring to address the health care needs of people diagnosed with autism. In 2015, the Department reviewed and updated the autism statutory guidance for the NHS and local authorities in England. In line with this statutory guidance, local authorities and the NHS should be providing autism awareness training to all frontline staff in contact with adults with autism.

Junior Doctors: Working Hours

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed new junior doctors' contract on reducing rota gaps.

Mr Philip Dunne: The new contract is part of the solution to rota gaps. It contains protections that mean that safe working hours will be enforced and light will be shone on rota gaps by the Guardian of Safe Working Hours reporting to the Board of each trust. Where action is not taken, this will be escalated to the Care Quality Commission, the General Medical Council and Health Education England. These protections simply do not exist in the current contract. In terms of covering rota gaps, no junior doctor can be asked to work more than an average of 48 hours a week and cannot work more than an average of 56 hours a week if they opt out from the Working Time Directive. The new contract rules for instance on rest periods and consecutive night shifts also apply to any additional work done.

Junior Doctors: Working Hours

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed new junior doctors' contract on ensuring safe working hours.

Mr Philip Dunne: The new contract includes stronger limits on working hours and patterns of work and a robust oversight mechanism to ensure that prompt action is taken if needed. This will be an integral part of how trusts meet their statutory obligations to keep staff and patients safe. Required action includes a review of work schedules to ensure safe working, payment for additional work done and fines where the limits in the contract are breached. There are no such protections under the current contract. For instance, at present, junior doctors can be asked to work up to 91 hours a week, up to seven night shifts in a row and every weekend under the current contract. The Guardian of Safe Working Hours will be tasked with ensuring that rotas reflect the hours that juniors work and they are within the new contractual limits. These limits under the new contract are a maximum of 72 hours per week (compared to 91 currently), and the limit on average weekly hours will remain 48 hours (and be limited to 56 hours where a doctor opts out of the Working Time Regulations).

Junior Doctors: Pay

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much basic pay will increase for each grade under the proposed new junior doctors' contract.

Mr Philip Dunne: Pay for Foundation 1 doctors will be 15% higher than the current basic starting salary. Pay for Foundation 2 doctors will be 8% higher than the current basic starting salary. The new basic starting salary for Specialty Registrars at ST1 will be 19% higher than the current basic starting salary. The salary for those at ST3 will be 32% higher than the current pay point for those progressing through training without delay. The overall increase for all juniors is over 10%.

Health Professions: Working Hours

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many guardians of safe working have been appointed to NHS organisations; and what the responsibilities will be of those roles.

Mr Philip Dunne: 177 out of 217 trusts had appointed Guardians of Safe Working Hours as at 4 September 2016, with interim arrangements in place in a further 14 trusts; meaning 88% have arrangements in place. NHS Improvement is aiming for appointments or interim arrangements to be in place for all 217 shortly. The Guardian of Safe Working Hours will act as the champion of safe working hours for doctors in approved training programmes and ensure that action is taken to ensure that the working hours within the trust are safe. They will provide assurance to the trust board or equivalent body that doctors are safely rostered and are working hours that are safe and in compliance with the Terms and Conditions of Service (TCS). The Guardians will also record and monitor compliance with the restrictions on working hours stipulated in the TCS, through receipt and review of all exception reports in respect of safe working hours.

Medicine: Education

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average earning rate is of graduates who studied medicine 10 years after graduation; and if he will make a comparative assessment of that level of earning with the average earning rate of (a) all, (b) mathematics and computer science, (c) law, (d) economics and (e) nursing, midwifery and physiotherapy graduates.

Mr Philip Dunne: A study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in April 2016 looked at graduate earnings 10 years after graduation. Only economics and medicine graduates are outliers with much higher earnings than would be expected given A-level performance as compared with their peers in other subjects. Selected graduate earnings (£000s) by subject of degree (includes those without earnings)  FemaleMale PercentilePercentile 20th50th90th20th50th90thMedicine23.745.468.833.055.384.7Maths and computer science3.322.053.36.426.857.5Law4.826.262.83.530.179.5Economics20.338.293.96.642.0121.4Subjects allied to medicine4.222.140.67.127.949.1

Health Professions: Pay

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of consultants earn above (a) £100,000, (b) £125,000, (c) £150,000 and (e) £175,000 per annum.

Mr Philip Dunne: The figures for 2015 are shown below. These relate to the earnings of consultants employed by the NHS Hospital and Community Health Service in England, and are based on NHS Earnings Estimates published by NHS Digital. Annual EarningsPercentage Earning More£100,00066%£125,00033%£150,00014%£175,0005% Source: Consultants’ earnings figures are based on statistics published by NHS Digital, from NHS Electronic Staff Record data, in NHS Staff Earnings Estimates to December 2015. The NHS Electronic Staff Record is the HR and Payroll system used by almost all National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in England. The figures are based on the total earnings in 2015 of consultants in the NHS hospital and community health services who worked for the full year, regardless of their working hours, i.e. includes both full-time and part-time workers. Equivalent figures are not available for general practitioners, because most provide services through commissioning rather than direct employment.

Doctors: Pay

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a comparative assessment of the earning distribution of hospital and community health service doctors to the earning distribution of workers in professional occupations.

Mr Philip Dunne: The best available comparison, for 2015, is shown in the table below. The Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) Doctors figures relate to the earnings of doctors employed by the NHS Hospital and Community Health Service in England, and are based on NHS Earnings Estimates published by NHS Digital. General practitioners are not included. The All Professional Occupations figures represent the earnings of all employees nationally in Professional Occupations, as published by the Office for National Statistics. PercentileAll Professional OccupationsHCHS Doctors10£15,331£45,00020£22,168£52,50030£26,557£61,50040£30,465£73,500Median£34,076£87,50060£37,467£99,50070£41,675£110,50080£47,506£124,00090£59,320£144,500 Sources: All Professional Occupations earnings statistics published by the Office for National Statistics, from its 2015 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. HCHS Doctors earnings figures based on statistics published by NHS Digital, from NHS Electronic Staff Record data, in NHS Staff Earnings Estimates to December 2015. The NHS Electronic Staff Record is the HR and Payroll system used by almost all National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in England. Both sets of figures are the estimated total earnings in 2015 of employees who worked for the full year, regardless of their working hours (i.e. this includes both full-time and part-time workers). The All Professional Occupations group covers occupations whose main tasks require a high level of knowledge and experience in the natural sciences, engineering, life sciences, social sciences, humanities and related fields. The main tasks consist of the practical application of an extensive body of theoretical knowledge, increasing the stock of knowledge by means of research and communicating such knowledge by teaching methods and other means. Most occupations in this major group will require a degree or equivalent qualification, with some occupations requiring postgraduate qualifications and/or a formal period of experience-related training.

Average Earnings

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a comparative assessment of the average earnings for  hospital and community health service doctors and the average earnings for workers in professional occupations in each age band.

Mr Philip Dunne: The best available comparison for 2015 is shown in the table below. The figures are for doctors employed by the NHS Hospital and Community Health Service in England (HCHS) and are based on NHS Earnings Estimates published by NHS Digital. General practitioners (GPs) are not included. The All Professional Occupations figures represent all employees nationally in Professional Occupations, as published by the Office for National Statistics.Age RangeAll Professional OccupationsHCHS Doctors22-29£28,958£41,39030-39£36,456£61,88540-49£40,603£94,47050-59£40,138£112,92460+£32,564£96,629Sources: All Professional Occupations earnings statistics published by the Office for National Statistics, from its 2015 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.HCHS Doctors earnings figures are based on statistics published by NHS Digital, from NHS Electronic Staff Record data, in NHS Staff Earnings Estimates to December 2015. The NHS Electronic Staff Record is the HR and Payroll system used by almost all National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in England.Both sets of figures are the estimated mean average total earnings in 2015 of employees who worked for the full year, regardless of their working hours (i.e. this includes both full-time and part-time workers). The figures do not include GPs.Equivalent figures are not available for GPs, because most provide services through commissioning rather than direct employment.The ‘All Professional Occupations’ group covers occupations whose main tasks require a high level of knowledge and experience in the natural sciences, engineering, life sciences, social sciences, humanities and related fields. The main tasks consist of the practical application of an extensive body of theoretical knowledge, increasing the stock of knowledge by means of research and communicating such knowledge by teaching methods and other means. Most occupations in this major group will require a degree or equivalent qualification, with some occupations requiring postgraduate qualifications and/or a formal period of experience-related.

Uveitis: Medical Treatments

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what treatment options are available to adults with uveitis to access anti-TNF treatment therapy who do not meet the exceptionality criteria of the individual funding request process.

David Mowat: Due to a lack of clinical evidence anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) to treat uveitis in adults is not currently routinely commissioned by the National Health Service. Therefore patients can only access the treatment through the individual funding request process.

Uveitis: Medical Treatments

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many adult patients with uveitis have had access to treatment with anti-TNF therapy through the individual funding request process since July 2015.

David Mowat: Between 1 July 2015 and 31 July 2016, fewer than 10 patients accessed anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy through the individual funding request process.

Hospitals: Reorganisation

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that clinical commissioning groups consider the effect of hospital reconfigurations on (a) other health services, (b) pharmacies, (c) GPs and (d) ambulance services.

David Mowat: In November 2015, NHS England published a good practice guide for commissioners on the NHS England assurance process for major service changes and reconfigurations. This includes information about the involvement of patients and the public as well as other stakeholder engagement and consideration of the impact on other services. The Government’s four tests for service reconfiguration are: strong public and patient engagement; consistent with current and prospective need for patient choice; clear, clinical evidence base and support for proposals from commissioners. A copy of the guide can be found at the following address: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/plan-ass-deliv-serv-chge.pdf

Health Services: Finance

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase the transparency of NHS England's decision making process on the prioritisation of investment in specialised services.

David Mowat: Each year, a significant number of proposals are put to NHS England for investment in new drugs, medical devices or interventions for use by specialised services in England. NHS England has to make difficult decisions on behalf of tax-payers about how to prioritise the funding that is available for those new investments each year. In considering policies placed before it, the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group follows the published procedure. The published procedure can be found at the following address: https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/investment-decisions/supporting_documents/consultationguide.pdf On 11 July 2016, for the first time, NHS England set out its provisional investment decisions for specialised services and the results of its annual process for deciding which new treatments and services it will make available to patients. This can be found here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2016/07/spec-services-investment/Background

Uveitis: Medical Treatments

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Life Sciences of 9 December 2015, Official Report, column 389-90WH, if NHS England will develop a commissioning policy on the use of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy for adults with uveitis.

David Mowat: In November 2015 NHS England undertook to review the current adult policy for uveitis once the study, known as VISUAL II, was fully published in a peer reviewed journal. The results of this study were published in August 2016. NHS England will be reviewing the clinical evidence as reported in VISUAL II and make a judgement on whether an interim policy should be published prior to the anticipated National Institute of Health and Care Excellence Guidance on treating uveitis expected in July 2017.

NHS: Sustainable Development

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that the concerns of local populations are taken into account in decisions about NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans.

David Mowat: NHS England released guidance to the local areas developing Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) entitled ‘Engaging local people’ in September 2016 which can be found on their website. This guidance from NHS England to the STP Footprints highlights the need for public engagement and suggests ways of doing this. We expect that most areas will take a version of their STP to their organisation’s public board meeting for discussion between late October and the end of the year. We would also expect that most areas will publish their plans, for more formal engagement, during this period. Every area will be working to a different timeframe, based on its own circumstances and how well-progressed its plan is. Proposals are at a draft stage but we expect all local leaders to be talking to the public and stakeholders regularly. It is vital that people are able to shape the future of their local services. No changes to the services people currently receive will be made without local engagement and, where required, consultation. There are longstanding assurance processes in place to make sure this happens.

Cancer

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with NHS England on the future of the common cancer clinical reference groups.

David Mowat: NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer, Professor Chris Harrison, has been working with the four common cancer ‘clinical reference groups’ to clarify their role within the system, especially in relation to the Clinical Reference Groups that provide advice and expertise to NHS England on the best ways that specialised services should be provided. NHS England has decided to continue the common cancer groups as ‘clinical expert groups’ and to bring together their chairs to form a clinical steering group for the national programme, to support a pathway approach to care management and measurement.